I have a question that has been troubling me for a long time. It's about whether it is appropriate that I offer food to Krishna or not.
The kitchen in which I cook is also used by my parents who are not vegetarians, and we use the same refrigerator.
I also don't bathe at least twice a day, nor do I wear all clothes fresh every day.
This means that the food I prepare is not pure enough to be offered to Krishna. I could offer it - but why offer something that is not clean enough, something that will be rejected?
Would you eat the food I prepared and offered?
It is said in BG 9.26: "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it."
As I am not initiated, I have neither love nor devotion to Krishna. So there is no way that Krishna would accept my offering.
Should I offer food (and other things) anyway?
Would you eat the food I
Would you eat the food I prepared and offered?
Just say when and where!
Yeah I'm hungry
What are we having?
: )
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Visit the Food Channel @ Krishna.com
You should definitely offer your food to Krishna
You must participate in purifying activities. Offering your food is very purifying.
Srila Prabhupada said we should start where we are. You are where you are. How can you start somewhere else.
Devotional service is the great experiment. You participate in it and you slowly become purified. The devotional 'creeper' or devotional plant grows within you as you water it with devotional service.
Krishna says he will recipropate accordingly to you devotional service. He knows you more perfectly than you know yourself and still he has brought you to his lotus feet where you are hearing about him and chanting his name and talking of offering him your food. Don't hold out on him.
If you feel badly enough about it offer your food to Gaura Nitai, Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda prabhu. They are completely merciful and will accept your offering.
That you are not initiated does not mean you have no love or devotion. Actually I expect you have both love and devotion. That's why you are here. You might not have as much as you would like, neither do I.
In my own experience offering my food and eating prasadam has has a powerful effect on my consciousness and on the relationship I feel I have with Lord Krishna.
-and yes I would eat the food you offered, I would be honored to do so.
I pray that Krishna enlivens you
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
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Visit the Food Channel @ Krishna.com
Devotional service is the great experiment ...
Hare Krishna, Antony.
You said -
Devotional service is the great experiment.
To me, this is such a strange notion - "Devotional service is the great experiment".
I have heard of this before, but I just can't and can't accept it. If it's merely an experiment - then how can it be real, how can it count for anything?
Although I suppose that right now, I am not capable of anything but experimenting anyway.
Without initiation
A brahmacari told me that without initiation, I might have awe and reverence for Krishna, but not love. That awe and reverence are inferior to love; and that the spark of love for Krishna only comes by the mercy of the spiritual master, no other way.
does that mean that simply
does that mean that simply by initiation one will have love? Love of God is not cheap, it is the PHD stage. Such a comment gives the false assumption that simply by initiation Prema is attained. No one has to pass through all the 9 stages from Sraddha to Prema. Initiation is essential, the word initiation means, the beginning. Hare Krishna
your humble servant,
Nityananda Chandra das
I expect that person was trying their best to encourage you
I expect that person was trying their best to encourage you to seek initation.
We all have the propensity to love, it is part of our essential makup. The purpose of bhakti, or devotional service is to grow it.
Devotional service is like the goal and the means to the goal. We go deeper and deeper by continuing to apply it in out lives.
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Visit the Food Channel @ Krishna.com
Haribol, Im in a similar
Haribol,
Im in a similar postition to you. Two things.
First of all - with regards to offering food. Its great that you are doing this and by all means you should continue and try to build on what you are doing. A devotee here and in the temple said that Krishna is all mercifull. He sees and understands your circumstances and makes allowances for it. He knows not everyone can live in an ashram or even a pure vegetarian house.
I live with my parents and have to share even a fridge with them, My food and even prasadam from the temple is usually sat next to some kind of meat or other impure food but there is nothing I can do about it until im able to move out.
The most important thing is to offer with devotion and love for krishna. Like the verse says ''with devotion'' . Its the devotion aspect that is the most important thing - thats why you can offer even a leaf - so long as its done with devotion and a desire to serve krishna and so long as the food is as pure as you can make it then all else is not important in krishnas eyes.
To reiterate - so long as you are offering with devotion, and so long as you TRY to make the offering as pure as you can krishna will happily accept it.
As for being initiated and washing 2x a day , wearing clean clothes etc. This is another example of the allowances krishna makes for our circumstances.
The Bhagavad gita was written in india and many of the customs about cleanliness etc were developed with the hot indian climate in mind. Now for those of us who live in more northern climates, with 9-5 jobs taking cold showers in the morning, washing and changing clothes 2 x a day or more , may not be practical or possible. But the lesson here is overall cleanliness. You should up hold the highest standard of cleanliness you can, and to follow these regulations as best you can. So long as the desire to be a good devotee here, krishna makes allowences.
Other than that - initiation is not a sign of love or devotion to krishna. Service and chanting and following the priniciples are. You dont need to be initiated to chant or do anything. Initiation is simply another step along a very long road
hope that helps ,
respectfully
Initiation and Prema, The
Initiation and Prema,
The explanation that I heard in Jayadvaita Swami's Nectar of Instruction seminar. http://jswami.info
It is said that the Holy Name is so powerful that one can achieve perfection simply by the chanting of the Holy Name.
Also guru is so so so important, so how to understand these two together.
Most Professors have to go to school, college, and further education to get the seat of a professor. But sometimes a person is so recognized by the University due to their extraordinary qualities that they receive an honorary diploma.
An example of such is Rabindranath Tagore (1861 -1941) who received an honorary diploma from Oxford without ever having attend that school.
But a honorary diploma is
But a honorary diploma is not something to put one's hopes in ...!
exactly :)
exactly :)